MELEE AT THE MALL 20 INJURED DURING SURGE FOR HEARTTHROB

PLANTATION -- At least 20 people were injured and a shopping mall was forced to close for two hours on Saturday when an autograph signing session with a male heartthrob popular among teen-age girls turned into a melee involving a crowd of about 10,000.

Luke Perry, who plays Dylan McKay on the Fox network's television program Beverly Hills 90210, made an appearance at The Fashion Mall at Plantation for about 90 seconds before he was forced to leave because the crowd became unruly. The crowd of mostly teen-age girls packed the three levels of the mall surrounding the center court on the first floor, where a stage had been set up. When Perry appeared about 2 p.m., the crowd rushed toward the platform, mall officials said.

At least 20 people were injured -- including a 14-year-old girl whose leg was broken. At least 50 people and security officers were at the scene or called to assist, and at least seven ambulances were lined up outside the Sheraton Hotel, which is inside the mall at 321 N. University Drive.

"The bottom line is we were expecting between 3,000 and 5,000 and we got 8,000 to 10,000 people," said Carol Joyce, the mall manager. "The problem began when he first came on stage and the people surged forward. It was a management decision to cancel the show."

A ballroom in the Sheraton became a holding area of sorts for injured people awaiting treatment by Broward County Emergency Medical Services paramedics.

Bill Scarpino, EMS commander at the scene, said 99 percent of the injuries were minor. But 13 people, including one adult, were taken to Humana Hospital Bennett, Plantation General Hospital and University Medical Center with sprains, bruises, cuts and asthmatic problems.

"It was a real mess," Scarpino said. "We weren't prepared for it."

Scarpino said EMS had asked Fashion Mall officials in advance if they wanted a paramedic detail at the mall, and they said they did not need one.

"I don't even know who that kid (Perry) is," Scarpino said. "But I'd like to pop him one."

Cari Callaghan, 14, of Coral Springs, was lying on the floor of the hotel ballroom watching her knee swell while waiting her turn for medical attention.

"I was pushed into the crowd," she said, fighting tears as paramedics started wrapping her leg with a bandage. "I got bent all over the place, and my knee -- my leg got twisted."

Susan Slate and Naomi Tapper, employees at Gordon Jewelers in the mall, said several injured girls were helped into their store.

"There was one little girl who cut her hand after a pot she was standing on broke," Slate said, pointing to the blood spattered on the floor of the store. "Another one had trouble breathing."

Tapper compared the crowd to those in the 1960s when the Beatles were hot.

"Everybody was screaming at the top of their lungs," she said. "It was just like the Beatles. Of course, there was a much louder echo here."

Many parents were upset because they could not find their children in the chaos.

Elaine Goldberg, of North Miami Beach, said she dropped off her four children, ages 4 to 12, in front of the mall at 12:30 p.m. while she looked for a parking place. At 3 p.m., she still had not found them.

Nicole Rutsky, 11, who went to the mall with her sisters, ages 13 and 15, said she did not seek medical attention because she just wanted to get home.

"I got hit in the back," said Rutsky, who was hoping to get photos of Perry with a small video camera. "People just kept pushing me and pushing me, and they made me spill my Coke."

Joyce said Fashion Mall officials were aware that Perry had drawn 3,000 screaming fans at a recent mall appearance outside Seattle in Bellevue, Wash., but they did not expect what happened on Saturday.

"I didn't anticipate anything like this, but I also can't control what parents do," Joyce said. "Parents were letting their children hang over the railings (of upper levels). It seems like people have lost their common sense."

Mall officials had handed out numbered slips of paper to the first 500 people. They had figured that Perry, who is in his mid-20s, would be able to sign between 300 and 500 autographs during the session, which was supposed to last from 2 to 5 p.m. The other people would be given 8-by-10 glossy photos.

But moments before Perry's appearance, a throng of teens filled the first level where he was to appear and thousands more hung over the railings of the upper levels.

Then WPOW-FM Power 96 radio, which promoted the event, cranked up the record Together Forever, and Perry, wearing jeans and a black shirt with rock 'n' roll" on it, appeared on the stage and the sounds of thousands of girls screaming filled the mall.

"The minute they brought him in, the kids just went crazy," said Dancing Danny B, a disc jockey on Power 96, who was playing the music. "We tried to calm 'em down, but it didn't work."

In addition to the 16 security guards and nine Plantation police officers assigned to the mall for the event, at least 25 other officers from Plantation. Sunrise and the Broward Sheriff's Office were called in to help control and later disperse the crowds of fans who refused to believe that Perry had left. The mall was closed to the public about 3:15 p.m. and did not reopen until 5:30 p.m.

"I had no idea so many people would come," Perry said afterward. "And I'm very sorry. I wish things had turned out differently. I want all those people out there to know that it wasn't my fault, for one. And two, I really did want to see them. And I'll be back."

Beverly Hills 90210, which debuted last fall, has made instant teen heroes of the cast members. The one-hour drama has grabbed the attention of teen-agers for its portrayal of family and teen problems -- everything from drug addiciton and divorce to date-rape and AIDS.

Madeleine Pinzon, 17, and Barbie Rodriguez, 18, of Miami Lakes, said that by the time they arrived at the mall at 2:45 p.m., the place was a mess.

"We didn't know what was going on," said Pinzon. "They shouldn't have announced it on the radio so much if they couldn't handle all the people. We came all the way out here and now we have to go home."

They say they watch the show every week because they like Perry so much.

"He's just a nice guy who's fine looking and who's not afraid to show his feelings." Pinzon said. "If all the guys in the world were like him, everything would be perfect."